The present invention is directed to a spill-resistant bubble-blowing apparatus having a container cap designed to prevent spillage from a container filled with bubble solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,938 to LaFata, et al. discloses a jar 40 for holding bubble solution and a cap 42 which may be placed over the top of the jar 40. As shown in FIG. 8 of the patent, the cap 42 may be held onto the jar 40 via a lip 44 formed on the side of the jar 40 which mates with a flanged ridge 46 disposed on an interior periphery of the cap 42. As shown in FIGS. 9-11 of the LaFata, et al. patent, the cap 42 may have one or more slits 50 formed therein. The purpose of the slits 50 is to allow a bubble-blowing wand to be inserted into the jar 40 through the cap 42 and removed from the jar 40 while at the same time preventing significant spillage of bubble solution from the jar 40, as described at column 5, lines 22-44 of the LaFata, et al. patent.
A prior art product referred to as a "Bubble Funset" includes a package which contains a cylindrically shaped bottle filled with bubble solution, a hexahedral-shaped container (designated 10 in FIG. 1A) for holding bubble solution, a bubble-blowing wand (designated 30 in FIG. 1C), a suction cup adapted to be attached to the container 10, and a tube. The cylindrically shaped bottle (not shown) has a threaded circular mouth at its upper end, a circular seal adhesively connected to the top of the mouth of the bottle to prevent leakage of the bubble solution, and a plastic cap threaded onto the bottle over the seal. The seal is composed of a paper layer adhered to a foil layer, with the foil layer facing downwards and being in contact with the bubble solution in the bottle.
The hexahedral-shaped container 10, which is marked with the patent number of the LaFata patent described above, is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B of this patent. Referring to FIGS. 1A and lB, the container 10 is composed of a hexahedral-shaped plastic cup 12 having a rectangular cross section, as shown in FIG. 1B, and a flexible, elastomeric spill-proof cap 14 that is adapted to be snap-fit into a top portion 16 of the cup 12.
As shown in FIG. 1B, which is a top view of the container 10, the spill-proof cap 14 has a first elongate slit 18 and three relatively short transverse slits 20 formed therein. The slits 18, 20 are formed so as to allow the bubble-blowing wand 30 (FIG. 1C) of the prior art product to be inserted through the slit 18 in the cap 14 into the cup 12 and removed from the cup 12 through the slit 18. The cup 12 has a downwardly extending arm 22 (only the top horizontal portion of the arm is shown) to which the suction cup (not shown) can be attached to allow the cup 12 to be attached by the suction cup to a surface, such as bathtub wall tile.
The instructions on the reverse side of the packaging of the prior art product instruct the user to take the following steps, among others, in using the product: 1) pour the bubble solution from the cylindrical bottle (not shown) into the cup 12 and snap in the spill-proof cap 14; 2) insert the wand 30 through the cap 14 and into the bubble solution in the cup 12; and 3) pull the wand 30 out of the cup 12 and blow bubbles with the wand 30.
The bubble-blowing wand 30 of the prior art product is shown in FIG. 1C. Referring to FIG. 1C, the wand 30 is composed of plastic and has a handle portion 32, a bubble-blowing end 34, a stem portion 36, and a rectangular sealing member 38. The outer periphery of the sealing member 38 is shaped to correspond to the interior rectangular cross section of the top portion 16 of the cup 12, and the sealing member 38 fits within a groove or slot (not shown) formed in the interior of the top portion 16. The prior art product was apparently designed so that when the wand 30 is placed through the slot 18 and snap-fit, over the spill-proof cap 14, into the top portion 16 of the cup 12, the sealing member 38 would prevent bubble solution from spilling from the cup 12. The wand 30 was not designed to fit entirely within the cup 12, and it is too long to fit entirely within the cup 12.